The God of my Everyday too...

I like to turn the volume way up in my car and sing as loud as I can to this song. It's simple beauty and truth comfort my weary heart.


EVERYDAY GOD- Jonny Diaz

Up here on this mountain I gasp at the view
This feeling inside me is 'cause of this fire for You
But the wind of the world will eventually take me down
Life has a way through my everyday of taking Your crown

But I'll sing on the mountains high
And I'll sing in the valleys low
'Cause my faith isn't based on emotions of mine
But instead on the truth of the Love I know

Schedules and deadlines, all the good things that I do
Replace the great, replace the space that has the shape of You
But mountaintop praise on everyday days returns my heart to the truth that I am loved by You

'Cause You are the God of amazing views
And You are the God of my everyday, too
When I am down in the valley below
I will sing of Your love so that others can know

"I desire compassion and not sacrifice" - Jesus

Listen to this:

http://files.austinstone.org/audio/mp3/2008/09_28_2008_mc.mp3

The link is our Pastor's sermon from some Sundays ago. This wrecked my heart the first time and I listened to it again the other day. I have a great desire to live with passion and conviction to the point of pain, and tears, and joy... to feed the hungry, to comfort the lonely, to love the hated...

I took some old boxes to a recycling place down town a few days before I heard this sermon the first time. The recycling place is not a nice area... dirty and crawling with indigents and druggies. One of those places you get in and out of as quickly as possible. One of the homeless men ran over to my car to help me unload boxes (they do this and then hope for a hand out). I looked him in the eye and genuinely offered my thanks. He looked right back and began his plea for an offering from me but before he could finish his sentence I was already saying "I have nothing sorry". He was asking, not for money but for food. "okay thank you" he said and smiled disappointingly and waved me on.

How come my heart rips apart for my little African children who sit starving and dying the the streets- when I'll spend every penny I have in my pocket to fill their bellies? I'll hug and hold them, even in their filth because I 'feel compassion' for them... but not for this man in this moment.

As I drove away I immediately hurt... and felt burdened with how easy it was for me to walk away. I had just gone to the grocery store. If I had let God move me in the moment I could have offered him all my bags of groceries. Then asked him what else he needed. Need clothes? Here take these. Need shelter? Here have some. Need to see God's love... here this is what it looks like.

This is why I LOVE my church, my church family, and what the Lord is doing in my life through this place and in this city.

This is the same church that sent me to Africa two summers in a row. I want so greatly, to live with passion... and to feel compassion unashamedly.

I have seen people loved this way.... this much... with this kind of conviction. My mother, I can imagine her running after my brother & sister and I to make sure we have food and comfort like the mother Pastor Matt's story. My dad, I know he would move heaven and earth to provide for my mom and my sister and brother especially if he knew we were in danger (and he has). I've seen them both love complete strangers with this same compassion.

Their example to me of love and obedience to God's call to love your neighbor is more valuable to me than your or I can fathom.

This sermon moved me to heavy tears... and great joy.